Waler clamp and tie rod assembly for a concrete wall form



April 19, 1966 G. F. BOWDEN WALER CLAMP AND TIE ROD ASSEMBLY FOR A CONCRETE WALL FOR Filed Feb. 5, 1964 INVENTOR.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 19, 1966 G. F. BOWDEN 3,246,869

WALER CLAMP AND TIE ROD ASSEMBLY FOR A CONCRETE WALL FORM Filed Feb. 5, 1964 INVENTOR. GEORGE F B WDEN BY'Qff/r/M//M 3,246,869 -WALER CLAMP AND 'HE ROD ASSEMBLY FOR A CUNCRETE WALL FORM George F. Bowden, Des Plaines, Ill., assignor to Symons Mfg. Company, Des Plaines, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 5, 1964, Ser. No. 342,697 2 Claims. (Cl. 249-45) The present invention relates generally to a concrete Wall form of the panel type and wherein the opposed front and rear sides of the form are each constructed of a group or series of rectangular panels in upstanding and edge-to-edge relationship and are adapted to have wet concrete, for Wall-forming purposes, poured into the space between them, the two form sides being connected together by horizontally extending combined tie rod and spreader devices in order that they are properly held in place and prevented from outward bulging or spreading under the lateral thrust of the poured wet concrete. The panels which are commonly employed in connection with a concrete wall form of the aforementioned character are of the type that consists of a rectangular facing of plywood against which the wet concrete is adapted to abut, and a rectangular stiftening frame which is applied to the outer side of the facing, such frame including marginal horizontal and vertical members and, in addition, intermediate crossbars which extend either vertically or horizontally and are connected at their ends to either the horizontal or the vertical marginal frame members. When a concrete wall form of the panel type is of considerable length, it is customary to obtain further reinforcement of the form as a Whole and also to maintain the upstanding edge-toedge panels of one or both sides of the form in longitudinal alignment by means of relatively heavy walers which extend horizontally across the outer sides of the panels, bear against the vertical marginal members of the rectangular reinforcing frames, and have associated therewith means including wedges for clamping the walers hard against said vertical marginal frame members to the end that the latter are brought into accurate alignment with one another. The present invention is particularly concerned with the provision of novel, simple and improved means for securing the horzontally ex- United States Patent O tending walers against the vertical marginal members of the fra-mes of the rectangular panels of a concrete form of the general character outlined above.

The present invention has particular reference to a concrete wall form of the specific type that is known as a prefabricated concrete wall form by reason of the fact that the individual panels thereof are assembled at the factory rather than in the field, and the vertical and horizontal marginal members of the rectangular reinforcing frames of the panels are in the form of channel stock lengths which are formed of steel or other suitable metal, are rolled to special shape, and are perforated, notched, grooved or otherwise fashioned in order properly to receive the adjacent edges of the plywood facing of the panels, as well as to facilitate the use of special fastening devices or other concrete Wall for-m hardware whereby adjacent panels may be clamped together in ed-ge-toedge manner.

In connection with a prefabricated concrete wall form such as has been briefly outlined above, one type of combined tie rod and spreader device which is commonly employed for maintaining the opposed sides of the form in their proper spaced relationship is in the form of an elongated strip of flat narrow metal stock which projects completely through the wall form sides and the intervening mass of poured wet concrete so that, after harden- 3,246,859 Patented Apr. 19, 1966 ing of the concrete and removal of the panels of the form, the projecting ends of the device may be bent, twisted or otherwise manipulated in various directions in order to weaken the metal of the strip at the regions where the strip enters the concrete and ultimately to break said projecting ends from the medial concrete-embedded portion of the flat metal strip. To assist in thus r-upturing the projectin-g ends of the combined tie rod and spreader device, it is ycommon practice to weaken the flat metal strip which forms the device by notching it at regions which lie at slight distances inwards of the side faces of the hardened concrete wall so that after breaking away the ends of the device, there will be no protruding strip portions to interrupt the continuity of the side faces of the finished concrete wall. A combined tie rod and spreader device of this character is illustrated and described in United States Patent No. 2,948,045, granted on August 9, 1960 and entitled Tie Rod Assembly For Concrete Wall Forms and Cone Therefor. Such a device is not readily adaptable for use in connection with or as an element of a standard waler clamping bracket, as is the more conventional combined tie rod and spreader device that is made from cylindrical rod stock. The last-mentioned device is illustrated in United States Patent No. 2,580,330 and may readily be'turned in any direction to position the usual looped ends thereof in positions appropriate for passage therethrough of the usual wedges by means of which the walers are drawn hard against the adjacent parts of the associated concrete wall form. Because a combined tie rod and spreader device of the flat stock type is invariably, and by necessity, positioned in the associated concrete Wall form with the plane of the at stock extending vertically, the wedge-receiving slots which are always provided in the end regions thereof are incapable of receiving the wedges in any position other than a horizontal one. When the wedges in the ends of `a combined tie rod and spreader device of the flat stock type are disposed horizontally, the adjacent horizontal walers interefere with proper driving of the wedges through the aforesaid slots in the ends of the device. j

The present invention is concerned specifically with a novel waler clamping means or assembly which embodies as an element thereof a flat tie rod which has at least one end region thereof turned laterally out of the general plane of the tie rod through an angle of so that when the tie rod is operatively installed in a prefabricated-type concrete wall form in the usual manner of installation with its general plane extending vertically for proper cooperation with adjacent rectangular panels, the wedge-receiving slot in the laterally turned end is so disposed that it may receive a wedge therethrough in a vertical direction to the end that there will be no interference by the adjacent waler or walers to convenient driving of the wedge to its home position.

The provision of a waler clamping means embodying such a tie rod being among the principal objects of the invention, another and important object is to provide a novel combination of such a tie rod with a two-piece bracket and Wedge assembly, the latter being so designed that it embodies a captured wedge which, when the bracket is operatively positioned against a waler, maintains the wedge substantially in vertical alignment with the wedgereceiving slot in the adjacent laterally` turned end of the tie rod, thus not only facilitating guided entry of the wedge into the slot, but also holding the wedge erect after initial entry has been effected so that a glancing blow inadvertently applied to the wedge, will not dislodge the wedge or bend either the wedge or the tie rod.

The provision of a waler clamp and tie rod assembly which is comprised of but three parts and, therefore, may be manufactured at a low cost; one which is extremely simple in its construction; one which is rugged and durable and, therefore, will withstand rough usage; one which is simple in its application and requires no particular skill for its installation or removal from a prefabricated-type concrete wall form; one which requires no nailing and otherwise will not mutilate the lumber of the associated waler or walers; one in which two of the three component parts are capable of repeated use; and one which, otherwise, is well-adapted to perform the services required of it, are further desirable features which have been borne Ain mind in the production and development of the present invention. Y."

Other objects `and advantages of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will become readily apparent as the following description enuses.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification, one illustr-ative embodiment of the invention has been shown.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a .perspective View of a waler clamp and tie rod assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the assembly being shown operatively applied to the medial region of a horizontal waler arrangement and serving to force the same hard against the outer side edges of a pair of adjacent panels of a Iconventional or standard prefabricated-type concrete wall form;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of tie rod which constitutes an element of the improved waler clamp and tie rod assembly;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the structure of FIG. l but viewed from a different angle; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vert-ical sectional view taken substantially along the vertical plane indicated by the line 4 4 of FIG. 1 and in the direction indicated by the-arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particulary to FIG. 1, a fragmentary portion of a prefabricated concrete wall form of conventional type or construction is illustrated therein and designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10. Such concrete wall form is rn-ade up of a front side l?. and a rear s-ide 14. The two sides `are spaced apart and are adapted, as well understood in the art, to have Wet concrete poured therebetween forwall-formingpurposes. Each side consists of a group or series of rectangular panels 16 in edge-toedge relationship. The panels 16 of the two form sides or series are maintained in spaced parallelrelationship by means of conventional combined tie rod and spreader devices one of which is shown at 18. The individual panels 16 are of the prefabricated-type that is known as Steel-Ply panel. Such a panel is manufactured and sold by Symons Mfg. Company of Des Plaines, Illinois and consists of a rectangular plywood facing Ztl-having a marginal rectangular reinforcing frame of steel orother suitable metal applied to the outer face thereof. The reinforcing frame of each panel 16 includes vertical marginal members 22 and horizontal marginal members 23. At appropriate levels, each frame is provided with suitable horizontal crossbars 24 which are of angle shape design and have the ends thereof connected to the opposed vertical marginal frame members 22.

Specifically, each vertical marginal frame member 22 is in the form of a structural steel bar which is generally of shallow U-shape cross section and comprises spaced marginal outwardly extending parallel ribs 26 and 28 and a connecting base or web portion 39. `Oneaoh web-portion is a shallow inwardly and longitudinally extending rib 32 and this deiines a groove or recess 33. The purpose of the recesses 33 is to receive the vertical edge regions of the plywood panel facings 20. The ends ofthe horizontal crossb-ars 23 are welded to the inner faces of the web portions of the vertical marginal frame members 22. At vertically spaced regions along the vertical marginal members 22 of the reinforcing frames, the ribs 25 and 28 are provided with notches 34 to accommodate the Islotted ends of the combined tie rod and spreader devices 18, while the web portions 34B of the vertical marginal frame members 22 are formed with rectangular slots or openings 36'which are in horizontal register with the notches 34 and are adapted to receive therethrough the bolts of conventional connecting bolt and wedge assemblies 38 by means of which adjacent panels are clamped together, all in a manner that will be made clear presently. The horizontal marginal frame members 23 are similar in design and construction to the vertical marginal frame members 212.

Each combined tie rod and spreader device 18 is of conventional design and may be of the type that is shown and described in aforementioned United States Patent No. 2,948,045. Briefly, each device 13 is in the form of a length of flat sheet metal stock of rectangular cross section and of a longitudinal extent somewhat greater than the over-all width of the form It. Slots 44 are provided in the end portions of the devices for register with the openings 36 in the web portions 34B of the vertical marginal frame members ZZV/.hen the form l@ is assembled. The openings 36 and the slots d4 are adapted to receive the bolts of the bolt and wedge assemblies 38 when the devices 13 are in position Within the notches 34. At regions which are spaced inwardly from the ends of the devices 1S and which, when the devices are in actual use, are disposed within the contines of the poured concrete, the devices are relieved ,by the provision of pairs of notches 46, thus weakening the devices at these regions. The medial sections of the devices 18 between the pairs of notches 46 are adapted to remain embedded in the hardened concrete, while the end portions or regions of the devices may be broken off by working the same back and forth, or by twisting the same to fracture the devices' at the notched regions, as is Well known in the art.

The arrangement of parts thus far described is purely conventional and no claim is made herein to -any novelty therein, the novelty of the present invention residing rather in the construction of the hereinafter described waler clamping means including a special form of tie rod. Such waler clamping means will now be described in detail.

Referring now to FIGS. l, 3` and 4, a waler 5@ extends horizontally across the outer side surfaces of the panels of the front side 12 of the form 1b and its purpose is to maintain longitudinal alignment of'said panels throughout the full length of the concrete wall form. The waler 5t) is sufficiently long as to lspan several` panels and, in accordance with conventional practice, the waler-'includes upper and lower wales 52 and 54 of the wooden 2" X 4 variety. Such wales alternate lengthwise and are slightly offset vertically so that their end portions Voverlap at vertical joints between adjacent panels.

The waler clamping means of the present invention is for the purpose of clamping the wales 52 and 54 hard against the vertical marginal members of the frames of the panels-16 ofthe front side 12 of the form 10 and comprises a three-piece assembly including a specially constructed tie rod 56 (see FIG. 2), a one-piece clamping bracket 58, and a wedge 60.

`The tierod -55 is similar to the -conventional combined tie rod and spreader device 18, but is modified for proper cooperation with the bracket 58 and the wedge 60. The length of the tie rod 56 is greater than the length of said device 18 in order to accommodate the addedwidt'h of lthe waler 50. Whereasy the device 18 is at throughout lits entire length, the front end .portion of the tie rod 55 is twisted sharply as at 62 to provide a short laterally turned end portion 64 which lies in a plane extending at an angle of to the general plane of the main body portion of said tie rod 56. Slots 66 and notches 68 corresponding in t design, positionl and function to the slots 44 and notches 46 in the combined tie rod and spreader device 18 are provided in the main body portion of the tie rod 56. `The rear end region of the tie rod 56, that is, the end portion that is remote from the laterally turned end portion 64 remains unmodied and is designed for cooperation with the bolt of one of the bolt and wedge assemblies 38 in such manner that said rear end region of the tie rod is anchored to two adjacent panels 16 of the rear side 14 of the frame 18. The laterally turned front end portion 64 of `the tie rod 56 is formed with a longitudinally extending slot 70 and lthis is designed for cooperation with the wedge 60 in a manner that will be described presently.

The bracket S8 of the three-part waler clamping means is generally of Z-shape in 4vertical cross section and includes a medial rectangular plate portion 72 which is adapted to extend vertically and bridge the two wales 52 and 54 of the waler 50 and bear against the outside vertical surfaces thereof, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4. In addition to the plateportion 50, the bracket 58 comprises a laterally extending in-turned lower flange 74 and a laterally extending out-turned upper guide flange 76. These two flanges are formed integrally with the lower and upper end parts of the plate portion 72 respectively. The laterally in-turned upper flange 74 underlies and supports the lower Wale 54. The vertical extent of the plate portion 72 of the bracket S8 is greater than the vertical dimension of the composite waler 50 so that the upper out-turned guide flange 76 is disposed at an elevation somewhat above the level of the upper Wale 52. The guide ange 76 is formed with a sl-ot 78 for slidable reception therethrough of the wedge 60. The slot 78 extends in such direction that it is in parallel relation with the slot 70.

When the tie rod 56 is in its proper position in the concrete wall form 10, the front end portion thereof projects outwardly beyond the panels 16 of the front side 12 of the form 10 with the twisted portion 62 and the laterally turned end portion 64 passing between the two wales 52 and 54 as shown in FIG. 4. The central part of the plate portion 72 of the bracket 58 of the waler clamping means is formed with a relatively large circular opening 80 through which the laterally turned front end portion 64 of the tie rod 56 projects loosely. When so projected through the opening 80, the longitudinally extending slot 70 in said end portion is in vertical register with and underlies the slot 78 in the laterally extending out-turned guide flange 76. The wedge 60 may then be driven downwardly through both slots in order to draw the plate portion 72 or the bracket 58 hard against the wales 52 and 54 and, in turn, clamp the latter against the vertical marginal members 22 of the reinforcing frames of the panels 16 of the front side 12 of the concrete wall form 10.

The lower region of the wedge 60 is provided with a small laterally extending protuberance 82 which may be formed either by laterally deforming the metal of the wedge or by application of a spot of weld metal to the wedge. In either case, the protuberance 82 presents a laterally extending element which prevents removal of the Wedge from the slot 78 in the laterally extending outturned guide ange 76 of the bracket 58. By such an arrangement, the danger of losing or mispla-cing the wedge 61) is avoided.

It is to be noted that in assembling the waler clamp and tie rod assembly of the present invention, the various parts may initially be loosely assembled in the approximate positions which they will assume when finally assembled, the tie rod 56 being conned within the registering slots 34 and the projecting end thereof serving to retain the bracket 58 and the Wedge 60 loosely thereon. It will be understood that attachment of the rear end of the tie rod 56 to two adjacent panels 16 of the rear side 14 of the form 10 will first be made by use of one of the bolt and wedge assemblies 38, after which a second bolt and wedge assembly will be employed to fasten the front end of the tie rod 56 to two adjacent panels 16 of the front side 12 of the form. The lower Wale 54 may be caused to rest directly upon the in-turned ange 74 of the bracket 58, while the upper Wale 52 may be caused to rest on the projecting front end region of the tie rod 56 after the tie rod has been fastened to the rear and front sides of the form 10. Thereafter, the wedge 60 may be driven downwardly to effect the desired clamping action on the waler 50 in the manner previously described.

The invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specication as various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, if desired, both end regions of the tie rod 56 may be twisted or turned laterally for use with two of the composite bracket and wedge assemblies 58, 60 when it is desired that walers shall be applied to both sides of the concrete wall form. Therefore, only insofar as the invention has particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claims is the same to be limited.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a concrete wall form, in combination, front and rear opposed upstanding spaced apart sides, each side being comprised of a series of individual panels disposed in edge-to-edge relationship, each panel including a rectangular plywood panel facing and a rectangular marginal reinforcing frame including vertical steel side members and horizontal steel end members, each panel having one of its vertical side members abutting a vertical side member of an adjacent panel, there being a hole in each of the abutting side members at substantially the same height in the wall form whereby the holes are in registry, a pair of vertically spaced horizontally disposed Iwales positioned against the outer side of the front side of the form, and a waler clamp and tie rod assembly for maintaining the form sides spaced and for clamping the wales hard against said front side, said assembly comprising an elongated horizontally extending te rod for-med from at ribbonlike metal stock and extending transversely through the form, the rod being twisted medially of its ends to provide a rear section the plane of which extends vertically and a front section the plane of which extends horizontally, the front and rear ends of said rear section each being provided with a slot therein, said ends projecting between abutting side members, clamping devices projecting through the registering holes and the slots in the front and rear ends of the rear section of the tie rod and serving to clamp the abutting side members together, the medial region of the rear section of the tie rod spanning the distance between the two form sides, said front section of the tie rod projecting horizontally between the wales and having its extreme forward region overhan ging the outer surfaces of the wales, there being a slot in the overhanging extreme forward region of said front section, a vertically disposed wedge projecting through the last mentioned slot and serving effectively to apply tension to the tie rod and thus force the wales hard against said front form side, and a flat metal plate interposed be tween the wedge 'and wales for transmitting the force of the wedge to said wales, the upper edge of said plate being formed with an out-turned flange having a slot therein overlying and in vertical register with the slot in the overhanging region of the tie rod, said wedge projecting through both of said slots.

2. In a concrete wall form, in combination, front and rear opposed upstanding spaced apart sides, each side lbeing -comprised of a series of individual panels disposed in edge-to-edge relationship, a pair of vertically spaced horizontally disposed wales positioned against the outer side of the front side of the form, and a waler clamp and tie rod assembly for maintaining the form sides spaced and for clamping the Wales hard against said front side, said assembly comprising an elongated horizontally extending te rod formed from at ribbon-like met-al stock and extending transversely through the form and between 7 adjacent pairs of panels, the rod being twisted medially of its ends to provide a rear section the plane of which extends vertically and a front section the plane of which extends horizontally, the rear end ofy said rear section being secured to the rear form side and the front end region of said rear section projecting horizontally between the wales and having its extreme forward region overhanging the outer surfaces of the wales, the twisted -portion of the tie rod being disposed between said wales, there being an elongated axially extending slot inthe overhanging extreme forward region of said front section, a vertically disposed downwardly tapered wedge projecting downwardly through said slot with its narrow lower end disposed below the slot, and a clamping bracket having a at plate portion interposed between the wedge and wales, there being a hole in said plate portion through which the front section of the tie rod projects, the upper edge of said plate portion of the clamping bracket be'ng turned laterally outwardly and providing a guide ange for the wedge, there being a slot in said guide flange in vertical register with the slot in the overhanging region of said front section and through which the upper large end of the wedge normally projects, the lower edge of said plate portion of the clamping bracket being turned laterally inwardly and establishing a ledge upon which the lower wale rests and is supported.

References Cited by the rraminer i UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.17,7a3 7/1930 Ne1`s6n" 25-131 1,619,933. 3/1927 Hawiey 25-131 1,769,292 7 /1930 Hodapp 25- 131 1,919,645 7/1953 wiuard 25-131 2,099,265 11/1937 Fmyssinei 25-131 2,217,278 10/1940 ykamer 25-131 2,613,424 10/1952 Kenney 25-131 2,879,576 3/1959 11116116111 25-131 3,069,743 12/1962 Luyben 25-131 .FOREIGN PATENTS 10/1962 Canada.

'1. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

MICHAEL. V. BRINDISI, Examinen 

1. IN A CONCRETE WALL FORM, IN COMBINATION, FRONT AND REAR OPPOSED UPSTANDING SPACED APART SIDES, EACH SIDE BEING COMPRISED OF A SERIES OF INDIVIDUAL PANELS DISPOSED IN EDGE-TO-EDGE RELATIONSHIP, EACH PANEL INCLUDING A RECTANGULAR PLYWOOD PANEL FACING AND A RECTANGULAR MARGINAL REINFORCING FRAME INCLUDING VERTICAL STEEL SIDE MEMBERS AND HORIZONTAL STEEL END MEMBERS, EACH PANEL HAVING ONE OF ITS VERTICAL SIDE MEMBERS ABUTTING A VERTICAL SIDE MEMBER OF AN ADJACENT PANEL, THERE BEING A HOLE IN EACH OF THE ABUTTING SIDE MEMBERS AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME HEIGHT IN THE WALL FORM WHEREBY THE HOLES ARE IN REGISTRY, A PAIR OF VERTICALLY SPACED HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED WALES POSITIONED AGAINST THE OUTER SIDE OF THE FRONT SIDE OF THE FORM, AND A WALER CLAMP AND TIE ROD ASSEMBLY FOR MAINTAINING THE FORM SIDES SPACED AND FOR CLAMPING THE WALES HARD AGAINST SAID FRONT SIDE, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING TIE ROD FORMED FROM FLAT RIBBON LIKE METAL STOCK AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THROUGH THE FORM, THE ROD BEING TWISTED MEDIALLY OF ITS ENDS TO PROVIDE A REAR SECTION THE PLANE OF WHICH EXTENDS VERTICALLY AND A FRONT SECTION THE PLANE OF WHICH EXTENDS HORIZONTALLY, THE FRONT AND REAR ENDS OF SAID REAR SECTION EACH BEING PROVIDED WITH A SLOT THEREIN, SAID ENDS PROJECTING BETWEEN ABUTTING SIDE MEMBERS, CLAMPING DEVICES PROJECTING THROUGH THE REGISTERING HOLES AND THE SLOTS IN THE FRONT AND REAR ENDS OF THE REAR SECTION OF THE TIE ROD AND SERVING TO CLAMP THE ABUTTING SIDE MEMBERS TOGETHER, THE MEDIAL REGION OF THE REAR SECTION OF THE TIE ROD SPANNING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TWO FORM SIDES, SAID FRONT SECTION OF THE TIE ROD PROJECTING HORIZONTALLY BETWEEN THE WALES AND HAVING ITS EXTREME FORWARD REGION OVERHANDING THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE WALES, THERE BEING A SLOT IN THE OVERHANGING EXTREME FORWARD REGION OF SAID FRONT SECTION, A VERTICALLY DISPOSED WEDGE PROJECTING THROUGH THE LAST MENTIONED SLOT AND SERVING EFFECTIVELY TO APPLY TENSION TO THE TIE ROD AND THUS FORCE THE WALES HARD AGAINST SAID FRONT FORM SIDE, AND A FLAT METAL PLATE INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE WEDGE AND WALES FOR TRANSMITTING THE FORCE OF THE WEDGE TO SAID WALES, THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID PLATE BEING FORMED WITH AN OUT-TURNED FLANGE HAVING A SLOT THEREIN OVERLYING AND IN VERTICAL REGISTER WITH THE SLOT IN THE OVERHANGING REGION OF THE TIE ROD, SAID WEDGE PROJECTING THROUGH BOTH OF SAID SLOTS. 